Art of packing pistons



J. 0. CARREY.

ART 0F PACKING PISTONS. APPLICATION FILED APR.26, 1919.

1537552979 Patented Apr. 19, 1921 sraras carros.

.IOIrN o. OARRNY, or sfr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AssIGNOR To CARREY ROTARY ENGINE COMPANY, ON sT. LOUIS, NIssOURI, A CORPORATION or MISSOURI; f

.Liarv OF PACKING IIsTONs.

To all whom it may concern.' Be it known that I, JOHN O. CARREY, a. citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Art of Packing Pistons,.of which the following is a specification. I

rlhisinvention relates to the art of pack-v ing pistons.

An obj ect of the invention is to .provide an improved method of maintaining a liquid seal or packing iii connection with engine pistons.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide an improved means for maintaining a liquid seal or packing in connection with an engine piston.

ln the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view illustrating means for maintaining a liquid seal or packing in con- Y nection with the piston of an engine.

Fig. 2 is a view of the piston removed `from the cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating' the preferred construction of the liquid seal passages in the piston. n

Asshown, the piston 1 is formed-wlth a number of circumferential grooves 2, adapted to receive water or other appropriate liquid for maintaining perfect seal between the piston and the wall of the cylinder, so as to dispense with the necessity of using piston rings or other mechanical packing,r

elements.

As shown, the englne 1s,.formed with a `liquid chamber 3 to which liquid is supplied through a pipe 4. Liquid may be forced into the chamber 3 by operation of a pump 5 driven by the crank shaft 6 of the engine. The liquid enters the pump through a pipe 7 communicating with a tank 8.

From the chamber 3 the liquid passes -through a plurality of openings 9 across which the piston moves so that the'liquid, being maintained under pressure, will pass -through the openings 9 into the grooves 2,

thus maintaining a perfect liquid seal. No material quantity of the liquid will rise above the piston, because .the pressure. is so equalized that the liquid will remain in the grooves. lt is understood, of course, that when the piston is down there is less pressure in the space above the piston. Under this condition if the pressure of the liquid 'in the chamber 3 remained constant part of Vthe. liquid might be forced out of the Grooves 2 into the space-above the piston. 'Fo pre,- vent this I provide a pressure equalizing device by which the pressure of the liquid in' the chamber 3 is reduced as an incident, to downward movement of the piston. l As shown, a passage 14 through the outer wall of the chamber 3 opens into a valveA chamber from which a passage 15 opens intoV the chamber 12. A puppet valve 16 controls the passage 14 and is provided with a stem 17 to which is attached a piston head 18. A spring 19'encircles the stem 17 Vbetween the piston head 18 and the vplug 20 said springY acting to press the valve toward closed posi# tion within the passage 14. A passage 21 opens into the cylinder above also opens into the space withinthe piston head 18land the plug 20. As a result-0f ;tlris"ciistruction Vit` is apparent that when vthe piston 1 moves upwardly to position of Specificationrof Letters Patent. Patented Api- 19, jjggjfw Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 292,983.

the piston and.

compression it will create pressure through `chamber 3 may be increasedtothe'maxi-I mum. lVhen the piston 1 moves downwardly the pressure in the cylinder 'above the piston is reduced to a point lower than the pressure in thechamber 3. This permits the pressure of the liquid in the 'chamber 3 to press the valve 16 to open position, permitting the liquid to How from the chamber 3 through the passages 14 and 15 into the low pressure chamber 12 from which the liquid is drawn through the pipe 13 to the tank 8. In thisiway the pressure of the liquid inthe grooves 2 is varied to conform Ato the variation of the pressure above the piston.

I prefer to form the grooves 2 as shown in Fig. 2, their greatest -depth being near their lower sides, thus forming sharp edges or shoulderslO which more effectively reta-in the liquid during -upvvard movement of the piston.

The liquid is permitted to flow from the grooves v2 through outlet openings 11 across which the piston moves.' The openings 11 discharge the liquid into a chamber 12 from which the liquid is conducted tl' rough a pipe 13 to the tank 8.

From the foregoing it will be .understood 'that my invention fully accomplishes its object and that, by the form of mechanism shown or. any other appropriate form of mechanism, the sealing liquid is constantly supplied under pressure to tlie'grooves in the piston. However, the pressure does not exceedv thedesired maximum so vthat-theliquid will not be forced between the piston and' the Wall ofthe cylinder into the chamber `-above the piston. The constantflo-W of liquid cools the piston and the cylinder and Will also serve as" a lubricant for the parts and prevent accumulation of carbon and other' products of `combustion upon the cyly inder and piston Walls. 'l

It is apparent that the mechanism may be varied Without departure from the principle of tlie invention, and` it Will be understood cipro'cation of the iston,' and withdrawin l tipn"ofthepiston The method ofpacking pistonshavingl that I do not restrict myself to unessential features butwhat I claimand desire'to secure by lletters-vlatcnt, i s:-

1".; The method of packing avpiston having circumferential grooves therein, which consists in forcing A'packing liquid into said grooves from an external'source ofsupply,- and" varyingthe pressure of the liquid dur' ,ving eciprocation of the piston.

2. The method f packinga piston having circumferential grooves therein, which consists in forcing packing liquid into said grooves from an. external source' ofsupply, varying the pressure of the liquid during rethe 4packing liquid rom said groovesto a mit fresh supply of packing. liquid into the arboree --j Y y '3. Inan engine,alcyli'nder having openings through.' the Wall' thereof, ay piston mounted inthe cylinderjand provided with. circumferentialxgrooves ,'vvhich are moved' acrosssaid' openings during the operationof` the piston, means forsfforcing liquid under 'ress ure through said openings into said grooves, and means for' varying the` pressure ofth, liq id in `said grooves during opera- 1 circumferential grooves therein, which 1 consists ing` forcing .under l pressure a packing liquid intoA grooves` from an' external` chamber, andfinvarying the'j'pressure' in the grooves to prevent the-'leakage'ofthe liquid," from the grooves by reason of pressurevvithchamber" constituting an outlet chamber" from the cylinder through passage Ways through the Wall thereof, and a 'pressure regulating *device controlling the communication between said tWo chambers.

(. In an engine, a' cylinder, a piston mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder vhaving circumferential grooves therein, a

Water inlet chamber in connection .With the cylinder and communicating 4With the in y terior thereof through passage Ways, a second chamber constituting an' outlet chamber 'from the cylinder `through passage vvays through thewall thereof, and means driven by the engine for forcing liquid under pres sure into said irst named chamber.

7. In anfengine, a cylinder having liquid inlet openings therethrough, 'and having liquid outlet openings, a liquid supply cha1n-` ber in communication With said inlet open-- ings, a separate v liquid outlet chamber in communication with said outlet openings, a.

pistonmounted 'in said cylinder having circumferential grooves therein, which are suc-- cessively moved across the inlet andoutlet l openings, means for introducing Water un der pressure into said liquid supply champly chamber. 4

8'. In'an engine, the combination with a cylinder, of 'a piston mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder, said piston having cir-l cumferential grooves therein, a liquid cham-` ber in `communication, with the cylinder, a

-. second chamberv in communication with the cylinder, means for inducing liquid in said ber, anda pressure regulating `device for', controlling the pressure in said liquid sup,-

first-named 'chamber' under pressure, and a pressure equalizing device, whereby y thepressure in said irstfnamed chamber is rc- .duced as an incident to the downward move-v ment of the piston.

JoHN olcnnnnr. 

